


I Saw Her Standing There

by Aphistas



Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-19 12:37:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13123881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aphistas/pseuds/Aphistas
Summary: He saw her standing there, but she was a zombie.





	I Saw Her Standing There

**Author's Note:**

  * For [artificialhoney](https://archiveofourown.org/users/artificialhoney/gifts).



> For @rpdrficexchange (tumblr) RPDR Christmas Fic Exchange
> 
> Gift for For Honey  
> Request: “I would really like Vatya or Vixie, pretty much any genre except angst is good. I just don’t want it to be sad haha”  
> A/N: Based on the puzzle game by the same name [http://kranggames.com/standing.html]

* * *

 

With his bag over his shoulder, Brian bolted the lock to the bunker and headed downstairs. It really was a miracle he could still find canned food that hadn’t been looted already; though, with nearly everyone he knew already being either dead or a zombie, it wasn’t like many actual people were needing the nonperishable foods. What he wouldn’t give for a decent hot meal though. What he wouldn’t give for something mouthwateringly delicious, like pancakes. Sweet, fluffy pancakes drenched in decadent maple syrup and topped with an assortment of macerated fruit. Brian practically salivated at the thought.  

“Hey, Violet,” Brian said with a grin as he reached the final few steps, “I’m back. Miss m–” Brian’s smile dropped as he looked into the room. It was quiet. No should of shuffling feet. Brian looked at the back corner where he kept the cage.

The cage was empty.

Brian’s shoulders fell as he dropped his bag. “Again?”

~

Now, to go back to the beginning…

When the outbreak first happened, Brian had been lost. All of his friends in Los Angeles had been infected – how he somehow survived without Trixie’s level head, he had no idea – and he had no way of contacting anyone else. Cell towers had died within hours of the initial outbreak. Brian had only encountered a handful of other survivors along the way, but distrust between strangers prevented any of them sticking around for long. At least at first. Maybe things would have been different now, but Brian hadn’t seen any signs of any other living humans in weeks.

But then, Brian saw her standing there. Amongst the abandoned buildings looted from everything of significance from the few survivors, Violet stood alone. When Brian saw Violet facing away from him, adorned in the familiar though now torn rhinestoned jacket, Brian knew he had finally found someone to help keep himself afloat.

Even when Violet turned around and Brian could see the peeling and rotting flesh on Violet’s cheek, how her once luscious hair now hung limp and lifeless, she still looked just as beautiful as she did during the Season Eight finale when she left everyone speechless. When Brian looked closer, instead of just seeing the mad look of hunger he so often saw, Brian would swear that he saw a spark of familiarity in Violet’s dark, sunken, glazed eyes.  

Brian saw Violet standing there, but she was a zombie.

Violet wasn’t like the other mindless monsters that had taken over the country though, possibly even the world. She wasn’t. Violet’s eyes told Brian she wasn’t.

So, instead of fleeing, Brian kept track of her. He built a cage, and when the cage was ready, all he needed to do was reveal himself to Violet, and Violet followed him. She loved him, and he cold tell by how she would just follow him and walk straight into the cage. With Violet, Brian no longer had to be alone in this deserted world.

In the cage and in the bunker, Brian kept Violet and himself safe from the other mindless zombies.

However, on some occasions, when Brian would be out, Violet would manage to escape. How? Brian could never figure it out; the cage always seemed secure. Brian, though, would always need to find and capture Violet again before she could get hurt. She wasn’t like the other zombies after all.

~

Violet shuffled her way to the mall. It had been Christmas time when the virus had taken over, and the stair rails still had faux garland and dead lights still strung up, and even a fake tree with fake snow still stood in the center with remnants of wrapping paper littering the ground from the presents that had been destroyed within the first couple of weeks by desperate humans.

Violet had been human once; she knew that. Just like all the undead, their former lives were fragile and human. They were like scared animals back then. Even though the virus had only been around for a few months, it felt like an entire lifetime ago for Violet – it was, in fact an entire lifetime ago technically – and she could barely remember anything from her previous life. All she really knew was that Katya was familiar to her, so familiar to her inner soul that it carried over from one life to the next. Violet felt…warm when she looked at Katya. A good warm like from a hot meal, not the bad kind like when fire was shoved in her face. It was why Violet let Katya capture her again and again, though she was starting to grow tired from the repetitiousness of it. Something needed to change soon.

As Violet shuffled through the front doors, she swept her eyes from side to side; the corner of her mouth twitched in what would have been a smile if she still had the muscle control for it as she made her way over to a cluster of undead.

‘ _Hey_ ,’ Violet grunted as she approached other former queens. Alaska, Courtney, Raja and Raven, and Detox grunted in acknowledgment.

Trixie, with only one eye and one ear (the other being an empty eye socket and a hole on the side of her head from being severed in a confrontation with a particularly aggressive human), turned and let out a series of hoarse grunts, resembling her trademark laugh. ‘ _Finally made it back out of your cage, huh, Violet?_ ’

Or, at least that’s what Violet assumed Trixie said. The undead didn’t really have an actual language, per se. They didn’t quite have the capabilities of full speech – their tongues were too leaden to control sounds if they even still had tongues, and many of them were missing teeth and even chunks of their jaws – and sign language was kind of hard to master with stiff, deadened fingers. So, instead of any formal language, the undead relied on feelings they interpreted from the grunts and moans they sent each other. It could be difficult to understand another member of the undead that one was unfamiliar with, but for Trixie and Violet, they’d known each other from their mortal lives, and even though they didn’t really remember why, that old friendship made it easy for them to communicate with the barest of noises.

‘ _Oh, ha ha. Very funny_.’  Violet nudged Trixie’s shoulder with her arm as her own shoulders drooped.

Trixie tilted her head to the side, much like a confused puppy. ‘ _Something the matter, Vi?_ ’

Violet sighed. ‘ _It’s just…it’s getting old – this thing with Katya – and, I don’t know. You still remember her, don’t you?_ ’ Violet’s head tilted back to look at Trixie.

Trixie grunted as she placed a decaying arm on Violet’s shoulder. ‘ _Not really. Think I might remember feeling good around her once, but now, well, she’d probably taste just as good if not better._ ’ Trixie looked over at Violet with an open mouthed approximation of a grin with her yellowed teeth and green-hued gums.

Violet’s ribs shook with a series of grunts. ‘ _You’re absolutely terrible._ ’

Trixie just leaned more fully against Violet as they both focused more into the group’s discussion. Something about moving north? Or maybe pancakes. Violet could really do with some pancakes right about now.

~

Brian loaded up his jeep with Violet’s cage. Violet certainly seemed to enjoy escaping from her cage – it was the fifth time in a fortnight – but Brian always managed to put her back in her cage without fail. This time wouldn’t be any different. Nothing would ever keep Brian away from Violet. Nothing.

Brian drove to what was left of the old mall; the last few times Violet had escaped, this had been where she had headed. Too bad the place was infested with zombies. The mean zombies, not ones like Violet though. Never like Violet.

About a block away from the mall, Brian parked. Any closer, and the zombies would hear him. Plus, he needed time to set up the cage for Violet so that he couldn’t kill him accidentally or possibly even infect him. Brian didn’t know what happened to those that got infected, but he didn’t want to risk himself becoming a mean, mindless monster like the others. He didn’t want to ever stop loving Violet.

Once he got the cage set up, Brian crept to a small, side entrance to the mall. He just had to avoid being seen by the other zombies until he found Violet. Inside, Brian kept his eyes peeled for a flash of sparkle. Most zombies seemed to wear drab clothes, either because they had been turned so early into the apocalypse that the sparkling jewels or whatever had fallen off or they had turned later on when flashy clothes had become less than recommended to say the least. Violet, luckily, still had his jacket, something she must not have taken off when the outbreak happened, which, when in decent light, would still twinkle like her eyes when he looked back at Brian with such familiarity and love. As expected, a twinkling sparkle caught the corner of Brian's eye, and there Violet stood. Brian frowned as he took in the other zombies surrounding him. He could recognize them all as former friends and coworkers. There was Alaska and Courtney, Detox, Manilla, Raja and Raven, and of course, Trixie who was keeping Violet from leaving them. While Brian missed them all, especially Trixie, one of her closest friends who used to always be able to make her cackle like a dying hyena on Prozac, none of them had ever looked at Brian like Violet did. They all just looked at him like he was a happy meal with the prize inside his guts ready to be ripped out and played with. There was nothing that differentiated them from the other mindless zombies other than they had faces her used to love. 

All Brian had to do now was get Violet’s attention and lure her away from Trixie’s grasp.

As Brian crept closer, while making sure to keep out of sight of the other zombies, he failed to pay attention to the floor. The floor that had a handful of decorative ornaments from the holidays. The ornaments that Brian then stepped on.

With a whoosh, the ornament slid out from under Brian’s foot. Brian yelled as his legs flew up in the air, and the breath rushed out as he hit the ground hard. With a grimace, Brian turned and looked out where every zombie in the area had turned to look at him.

“Great,” Brian muttered to himself as he sought out Violet’s eyes.

Violet turned her head at the commotion and locked eyes with Katya. She let out a huff as she turned fully around so that she could follow Katya wherever she would lead as she alway did. The other undead respected her wishes to keep Katya alive for now, but Violet first had to get to her to remind them all. Some would forget without the physical reminder.

At her side, Trixie let out a snorting grunt. ‘ _You know, if you don’t want to keep being caged like a good little pet, you don’t have to._ ’

Violet’s frosty stare said it all as she began to shuffle her way to Katya. ‘ _Katya is not a human for eating._ ’

Trixie grunted as she followed behind Violet along with the others in their group. ‘ _Fine, don’t eat her even though she’d probably be delicious. Still, you don’t have to keep this up. Plus, it’s not like all of us are going to hang around here forever._ ’

Violet glanced back at Trixie with a slight confused furrow to her brows. ‘ _What do you mean?_ ’

Trixie ambled closer to Violet. ‘ _There are rumors of somewhere the undead are gathering. A utopia of sorts._ ’ Trixie looked at Violet with a slight squint to the corner of her single eye. ‘ _I hear they have all you can eat pancakes._ ’

Violet snorted. ‘ _Yeah, that sounds like a utopia_.’

Trixie’s arms swung at her sides as she stumbled closer to Violet. ‘ _Well, that’s where everyone’s talking of heading. It’s not like there’s anything tying us here anymore after all. Tap’s run out, and undead folk are hungry._ ’

The corners of Violet’s lips dragged down. Everyone was leaving? What should Violet even do? Stay with Katya until it was just the two of them until Katya’s mortal body perished? Or whenever Violet’s fondness for Katya vanished and her hunger took over?

Brian hurried out the door as he kept glancing behind himself. Violet was usually faster than the other zombies, but Brian knew that could all change in a heartbeat. All he needed to do was get Violet to the cage. Once he had her enclosed, the other zombies would always all stop, almost like they knew she was safe with him, but Brian figured it likely had more to do with them not wanting to be trapped themselves.

As Brian looked back again, he could see Violet following him with a hoard of hungry, near salivating zombies behind her. While Brian was thrilled with how Violet loved to follow him, he could really do without the horde.

Brian looked forward again and saw the cage sitting at the end of the block. Good. Brian jogged the rest of the way and stood on the opposite side of the cage.

As Violet shuffled closer, the other undead starting to taper off and stop their pursuit of Katya as they stared at Violet. The last to stop walking, as usual, was Trixie who gave Violet a parting grunt. ‘ _Remember, you decide how you live your life._ ’

Violet shuffled the rest of the way to the cage, and, after a momentary pause, sighed and limped inside. The door shut with a clang.

Once satisfied that the other zombies had stopped their pursuit, Brian turned and grinned at Violet. “Got out again, did you? I really should look into getting better locks for this thing, shouldn’t I, Vis? Don’t know what I’d do without you,” Brian chuckled. “Anyway, it’s good to have you back. Let’s get on back home.”

Violet glanced back at Trixie who tilted her head at Violet. Would she really just go back with Katya? Again? Each and every time? The monotony was already boring her. Plus, all of her friends were getting ready to move on.

As Katya wheeled a trolley over, Violet reached up and broke off one of the top supporting bars.

The cage crashed around her.

Brian froze. The cage was broken. His eyes flew open wide as they shot up to look at Violet.

“Violet?”

Violet lunged.

~

Violet looked down at Katya’s still body. Mostly, she just stared at the hard bite on the underside of Katya’s jaw that was already starting to fester and the hole in her chest where Violet had punched her fist through to stop Katya’s beating heart. The other undead had already returned to the mall, and Violet had sent Trixie along with her after a series of questioning grunts, but she, she would wait here with Katya. She would be here to meet Katya in her new life.

After some long hours had passed – time didn’t really matter much to the undead – Katya stirred on the ground.

Violet tilted her head as she shifted her feet.

Katya’s eyes blinked open, still whole and green, though faded and slightly opaque like most other undead, and Violet froze.

Katya turned her head just a tad and saw Violet standing there with the sunlight bouncing off of her sallow skin, but it was all okay. After all, Katya was a zombie now as well.

With a small grunt, Katya sat up. ‘ _Violet?_ ’

Violet let out a series of pleased grunts in response.

Katya staggered to her feet, her legs stiff but with little feeling in them. ‘ _I’m a zombie, but I’m still me._ ’

‘ _Yes_ ,’ Violet grunted as she nodded her head.

‘ _What do we do now?_ ’

The corner’s of Violet’s lips turned up. ‘ _Whatever we want. There’s still some pancakes left in the food court._ ’ Violet stuck out her hand to Katya.

With more dexterity than Violet after only being dead – or undead – for a few hours, Katya reached for Violet’s hand and forced their finger to entwine. ‘ _Pancakes sound delicious._ ’

 

 

##  _Fin_


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